From the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Central Texas

In preparation for Hurricane Harvey's landfall, Catholic Charities of Central Texas’ Disaster Response program has activated. At this time we are monitoring the hurricane’s path and working with state and local officials across the Diocese of Austin to coordinate assessments and activation efforts. In addition to our 25 county service region, our brothers and sisters on the coast will most likely require assistance once the hurricane has passed and flood waters have receded.

In an effort to be mobile ready on Monday we are asking for your support in four key areas:

1. Pray – Please pray for all residents in the path of Hurricane Harvey and for all first responders.

2. Volunteers – In preparation for deployment, we are seeking names and contact information for volunteers willing to lend their time and talent to our Disaster Response program. Volunteer roles will range from administrative to direct work with families impacted by the flood. If you are willing to volunteer with us, please email Claire Bordelon at
Claire-Bordelon@ccctx.org .

We will capture all volunteer names and send a group update after we conduct our first assessment on Monday. We will work hard to match skill sets with needs, but with the anticipated damage our top priority is providing direct service. During disasters, we ask all volunteers to be flexible as there are lots of moving pieces in working to prevent duplication. I think of it as controlled chaos.

3. Financial donations – We know that families are going to need food, clothing and shelter. The most effective way we can help families is raise funds and then empower families to feel some sort of normalcy again by being able to purchase their own food items, clothes, etc. In short, financial donations cut down on hidden cost and prevent delays in getting families exactly what they need to begin the recovery processes. To make a secured online donation, please visit
http://www.ccctx.org/donations-form.html. If you have any questions regarding making a donation, please contact Martha Jasse at
Martha-Jasse@ccctx.org.

4. Keep Us Informed – With our service region covering 25 counties we do not always know where the most pressing needs are. If your parish is aware of a situation, please contact Allison Cavazos at
Allison-Cavazos@ccctx.org. For anyone impacted by the floods, please call our Disaster Number at
512-766-7111.